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Winning Essays

Winning Essay: Brittney

Why a degree? To accomplish more... My Dream

Theodore Isaac Rubin once said, “Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. So why do I want my degree from Northwest Vista College? I want it to accomplish more in my life, not only for me, but for my family.

I grew up in a very small town. Everybody knew everybody. I hated it. All I wanted to do was to grow up and get out. I worked hard in high school and ended up graduating early. The day I graduated, I bailed. The only problem was, I didn’t know where to go from there. I got an apartment and a job in San Antonio, working crazy hours to get by, with absolutely no goals for the future. I thought about school, but didn’t ever find the time to really pursue anything. Nobody in my family had gone to college; I had no idea where to even begin, so I worked. Then one day I got a wakeup call. I was going to be a mom. This was happening. What was I going to do?

I moved back to my small little hometown to be close to family, but I knew I wanted more, not only for me, but for my baby that was about to make her debut. She deserved a mommy that gave her all, not one that gave up when times got tough. That’s when I knew. I HAD to go to college. I researched for hours. I was going to make my dreams come true. Finally I moved back to San Antonio and I went to the NVC campus. I had no idea what to expect. It was beautiful. College wasn’t scary. This place was so serene. I had a baby in one arm paperwork in the other, and determination radiating through me. This was it.

I spent the next few months getting everything ready. Setting up my classes, financial aid was a must, babysitters lined up, plan of attack mapped out. I was so excited, nervous, but excited none the less. The day before school started I was a mess. I had everything ready to go, but I just wasn’t sure how I would pull it off. Could I really do this?

My first day of class, I was up early, first one to the door waiting for the professor to walk in. So much was running through my mind. It was happening. I was at college. Me. I made it. The professors my first semester were absolutely amazing! Everyone gave me the encouragement I needed to push through. This was definitely not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish, but I refused to give up. They wouldn’t allow it either. If I ever had a doubt, I always had a teacher there to help.

Things did get rocky a few times, death in the family, unexpected move, sick baby, you name it, and I did it. Classes weren’t always easy, schedules were rough to maintain at times, but the flexibility at NVC helped me tremendously. I don’t think I could have made it this far without the support system that I have.

Here I am today, I am married, have a beautiful almost 5 year old little girl, and I will graduate soon. I have worked so incredibly hard to get where I am today. At times I did want to throw in the towel, but I couldn’t. I had a baby that needed a mommy that didn’t give up. She deserved the best, and I was going to give it to her. Now when she looks back, she will see her mommy was a fighter, and I fought to give her the very best life she could possibly have. I wanted that feeling of accomplishment that you get only when you do something that you thought was beyond your reach, and I will be fulfilling that need when I receive my degree from Northwest Vista College.